Thread: The "craft" of shaving

Prompted by the great thread "Stropping is King", (which has grown to 227 postings as I begin this post), I'd like to throw out a thought for discussion that I think is a significant part of what's stirring that thread. For sure, it is at the heart of why I find SR shaving compelling. My thought is that straight razor shaving is a "craft" much like the crafts of the 18th century furniture makers. The dictionary definition of craft closest to what I'm talking about is "an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, esp. manual skill: the craft of a mason."

Crafts of this kind are greatly diminished or altogether gone today. A craftsman needs to know much about the tools and tecniques of his craft and unite that knowledge with experience and skill to be successful. While the cabinet maker's craft was a business and the SR craft is routine hygiene, there are many parallels. The one most intriguing to me and most related to the stropping discussion is that some of the skills demonstrated by the historical fact of a craft defy "common sense". In the case of the stropping thread, Scott (honedright) claims a skill that is inconsistent with the presuppositions and experience of some of the discussion participants. They challenge it to be proven "scientifically". I think their science in this case is an attempt to define a procedure that can be readily repeated to achieve the same results. That's where I think a craft parts ways with science. To be sure, science can dig deep enough to explain much about the outcome of a craft, but that doesn't mean one armed with that science can repeat the craft mechanically or procedurally or easily.

The point I'd like to invite discussion on here is that the procedures of a craft are only the skeleton of that craft while experience is its meat and flesh. The reason furniture makers of the past started with a 7-year apprenticship was not as much because the procedures couldn't be sufficiently written down to learn on their own, but that no amount of procedure can replace the intangibles gained only through experience. This same kind of intangible craftiness is what compells me to want to shave with a straight razor, the fact that you can't just buy, read, try and do. There are no "10 easy steps to master straights in a weekend".

Why does this matter? Selfishly, it matters to me because I like things like that...things not easily obtained, things not everyone can do, things based on the time-honored lessons of the past more than current technologies (FWIW, I earn my living in a high-tech profession so I'm not anti-tech). Another reason I toss this out for discussuion is that I think until someone understands this craft view, they will be frustrated by the experiences of SR shaving. Whether honing, stropping, prepping, shaving, or whatever, there are many experiences to develop by doing that can be augmented by the wealth of SRP information, but only completely enjoyed by much doing. Many experienced-based intangibles are described throughout many threads by the senior members including knowing what a sharp razor is (that's why the oft repeated admonishment to start with one from a honemeister), knowing what it sounds like on the strop, knowing what the edge on face is supposed to feel like, etc. That's why some in SRP describe the by-gone days when father would teach son of this craft, passing on what side-by-side experience does best.

I have many more thoughts on this, but have gone on long enough. I would like to hear what others think; especially those of you who are masters of this craft of shaving, those with many years os successful SR shaving to your credit.

- Dale

excellently crafted post.

Excellent post! I suspect you'll either learn to shave with a straight like 1,000,000 men before you or continue to think of it as a romantic "craft" only obtainable via a mysterious "feel". As you work through the various mysteries pay careful attention to what you learn, perhaps its very fleeting. Either way I promise you'll enjoy the ride.

I'll give it 'Art' but 'Craft' is reserved for the remaining barbers who shave men with straights.

X

When I first decided I wanted to learn to shave the old fashioned way, with a straight razor, I decided that even before buying the razor, I would find a barber to shave me. That way I'd know what I was getting into, or so I thought.

I found an old man of a barber in Santa Monica, California who still did straight razor shaves. From the moment I walked into his shop for that one and only shave, I watched everything he did. I watched as he honed the razor and then stropped it. I paid attention to every move he made over my face.

At the end, as I paid him, I nerved up and asked him if he would take the time to teach me to use the straight razor. He waved me off saying "no, it would take too much time."

Wow, I was a little hurt and disapointed. Really, how much time would it take to show a kid a few things?? Grouchy old fart!

Now, 27 years later, I completely understand the old master.

I had my wife read your posting. When she finished she said, "boy, you guys sure are passionate about this." I said, "yes we are, in fact we're passionate about a lot of things. We're just passionate people."

Hmmmm. Passion and craft, or skills of the hand, seem to be a theme in my life.

Go to the store and buy ice cream? I'd rather make my own in my hand cranked White Mountain ice cream maker, a hand crafted piece of art in itself, made the same as it was 150 years ago. No store bought ice cream tastes as good to me. How to tell when it's time to stop cranking? By feel.

Baking. I've baked at home, and in commercial bakeries. Sure, I buy ready made bread, but nothing beats hand made. How does a baker know when to stop kneading bread dough? By feel. It comes with experience. The satiny, springy feel of bread dough ready to be formed into loaves.

I've always admired those who made wood furniture by hand with old hand tools. I always wanted to learn, but never did.

What allows someone to continue long enough to develop the "feel," the skill? I'm guessing it's passion. Kind of silly to associate shaving with passion, but then, when put into the context of a craft, I think it fits.

So, I've gone on long enough too, but thank you for the great post, Dale.

Scott

A wonderful opening post and it demonstrates your enthusiasm and excitement concerning straight shaving.

personally and I don't mean to burst your bubble or anything like that but sometimes when we get involved in some endeavor which is essentially a common or trivial thing we kind of elevate it to cetain heights. Straight shaving afterall is a common mundane task performed by millions of men all over the world at a time when it was the only way to do it. I think most dreaded it and considered it drugery and as evidenced by its general demise most would say good riddens.

So along come all of us and we think its the greatest thing since sliced bread and it becomes a hobby to us and we talk about our razors and restorations and brushes and hones and mugs and all the rest and all the money we've invested in paraphanelia and we think we're just too cool. Those guys in the 1800s are probably laughing in their graves at us.

To me its just a lost skill like many others out there waiting to be rediscovered. Now pardon me while I go back to refinishing my vintage teak shaving mug!

I just wanted a good shave...

I too just wanted a good shave at first, just the way a barber shaved me once.

Then I did realize how much skill and craftmanship is involved and it grew into a love afair. I live a rather exciting life and have many hobbies, but at the moment I cannot think of anything that makes me more proud than my growing (yet still beginner) skill regarding SR shaving.

You're right, I am excited about my newly discovered hobby (less so when I have shaves with burns and wounds like I did yesterday!). But I have the same excitement for the craft of furniture making with traditional hand tools that I've enjoyed for years. So we'll see how long before my bubble bursts.

One of your points and the points made by others are well taken...it's just a shave. Sorta. Like the hand-made Windsor chairs I make are just chairs. True, if you just want to sit, Oak Express will do. It depends on what you want from a chair. Likewise, it depends on what you want from a shave. Unlike some, I was blissfully satisfied with my goo-n-plastic shaves. It didn't hurt, I had no skin problems, and my wife kissed me. If I just want to have a clean face, I can stick with that. But for me, it is more than just a shave. To each his own. The great thing is that this hobby offers something for everyone from crazies like me to those who just want a better shave.

Also, let me clarify something my glowing opening post may have implied, I'm not claiming that the value of a good SR shave is equivalent to a 250 year old Queen Anne Highboy or that a master of shaving is equivilent to a master cabinetmaker. I'm just claiming that both depend on a sense of hand that is very rare and hard for most of us moderns to grasp. It's a sense of hand that I do enjoy and I think adds to the experiences of SR's, chairmaking, or anything else that depends on it. It's a sense that comes with the right mix of procedure, understanding, desire, time and practice. In our tendency to assume all-things-new are better, and that all-things-faster are better, we've lost some of this sense that was so much a part of the mind of the past.

Thanks for your thoughts.

- Dale

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

...Straight shaving afterall is a common mundane task performed by millions of men all over the world at a time when it was the only way to do it. ...
... and we think we're just too cool. Those guys in the 1800s are probably laughing in their graves at us.

Indeed! I just wish I could have a few of those guys back for a while to help me learn this...instead of just their razors!